The Sacramento Kings are about to face off against the San Antonio Spurs, who recently drafted Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 center from France.
Wembanyama was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. The 7-foot-4 center is averaging 18.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.4 blocks.
The Kings (6-4) have won four in a row. The Spurs (3-8) have lost six in a row after posting back-to-back wins over the Phoenix Suns
The Kings are currently leading their NBA Cup group after a victory over the Thunder, and they are looking to keep their momentum going by defeating the Spurs. The Spurs, on the other hand, have struggled in the NBA Cup so far and are looking to turn things around. This game is especially important for them as they try to get their first win and avoid elimination from the tournament. The Kings are expected to be the favorites, but the Spurs will be looking to pull off an upset.
Even though Kings coach Mike Brown had not yet scouted the San Antonio Spurs before being asked about them, he was interested in learning more about their star player Victor Wembanyama. Brown also expressed his admiration for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who has been a respected figure in the NBA for many years. It will be an interesting matchup between the two teams, and Brown is looking forward to the challenge.
“I’ve seen highlights and I might have caught a couple minutes here, a couple minutes there, just kind of watching as a fan because a guy like Victor makes you do that,” Brown said. “… Doing the stuff that he does, it’s intriguing, and so I don’t know much about them, but they’re big, they’re long, they’ve got a young team, and Pop is going to coach them the right way, so they’re going to play hard. In that building, they can pose problems for anybody, so we’re going to have to be on our A game for 48 minutes because it doesn’t matter what the score is, they’re going to keep coming, and when you have a talent like Victor, he gives you an opportunity for anything to happen.”
SCOUTING SACRAMENTO
The Kings’ impressive victory over the Lakers 125-110, was a great start to their six-game road trip. They dominated the game from start to finish, leading by as many as 26 points and never trailing.
In the Kings’ victory over the Lakers, De’Aaron Fox played a big role in the win. Fox had been out for five games with a sprained ankle, but he returned to the lineup and is averaging 30.0 points, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 49.1% from the field and 35.9% from 3-point range. Domantas Sabonis is averaging 19.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.4 steals.
The Kings are 4-1 with Fox in the lineup. They have scored 125 points or more in four of the five games he has played.
SCOUTING SAN ANTONIO
The Spurs top players are Wembanyama and Devin Vassell, who is averaging 17.3 points while shooting 43.1% from 3-point range, however, Vassell has been ruled out for Friday’s game because of left adductor tightness. Keldon Johnson is the teams third-leading scorer and a solid rebounder, averaging 15.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 rebounds. Johnson has been dealing with right knee soreness, however, he is expected to play on Friday’s game but listed as probable.
KINGS AT SPURS
WHEN: 5 p.m.
WHERE: Frost Bank Center
TV: ESPN, NBC Sports California
RADIO: Sactown Sports 1140
ODDS: Kings -6.5
OVER/UNDER: 236.5
INJURY REPORT
KINGS: OUT — Jordan Ford (G League); Colby Jones (G League); Alex Len (ankle); Trey Lyles (calf).
SPURS: PROBABLE — Keldon Johnson (knee); Sandro Mamukelashvili (back). DOUBTFUL — Trey Jones (hamstring). OUT — Devin Vassell (adductor).
Nov. 17 at San Antonio Spurs
Nov. 19 at Dallas Mavericks
Nov. 20 at New Orleans Pelicans
Nov. 22 at New Orleans Pelicans
Nov. 24 at Minnesota Timberwolves
